


Carte Blanche

by orphan_account



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Spies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-09
Updated: 2012-10-09
Packaged: 2017-11-16 00:13:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/533336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spy AU with Alfred and Arthur. They team up to bring the bad guys down, but the secret Alfred would most like to uncover is why Arthur keeps running off every time it starts to get good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carte Blanche

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pippins_socks](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=pippins_socks).



  
  
  
It definitely wasn’t the most glamorous of assignments and it sure as hell didn’t hold a candle to that sting in Monaco in ‘09, but there was something to be said for even the dullest of undercover work if it came with a shot of Arthur Kirkland as boredom chaser. Sure, manning the switchboard at ComQual Incorporated and doing a basic listen-and-learn job lacked the flair of lording over a roulette table while cloning the SIM card of a corrupt casino magnet dealing in international arms. And, yes, he could admit--even without enhanced interrogation--that his disguise was a little less than flattering, what with the cheap brown suit, big square glasses, and a fake name all designed to make him about as noticeable as a beige wall so none of the well-heeled and bad-intentioned denizens of the top floor would suspect he was, in fact, a spy.   
  
Still, it was worth the endless hours of answering and transferring calls, of pretending to be very committed to giving good customer service while secretly waiting for the “go-ahead” from Langley to bring the bastards down, because it seemed that Alfred Jones wasn’t the only spook interested in the very shady business taking place in the boardroom on Floor 63. That morning, at 8:45am sharp, ComQual’s brand spanking new analyst, Percy (short for Percival, wasn’t MI-6 precious when they chose that alias) Milner, with his polished accent and even more polished shoes stepped into the lobby and made Joe Smith/Alfred Jones’ day. He sure as hell hadn’t expected to be handing over an all-access security card to Arthur Kirkland when Peggy from HR had tossed it over his desk that morning with strict instructions to make sure Mr. Milner received his key without fail.   
  
Of all the crooked corporations in the world....Arthur Kirkland just had to be walk into Alfred’s.    
  
He’d been on assignment for two weeks, working the phones and surreptitiously  transcribing conversations to whet the appetites of the code-crackers back home when Arthur pushed through the revolving door, dressed to the nines and ready for war.  Alfred thanked his 50 lucky stars and then wondered what the higher-ups weren’t telling him about this seemingly routine operation if MI-6 was trying to horn in on CIA turf. It never boded well for international security when more than one agent was on the scene, and somehow Alfred suspected that he’d been dropped in far murkier waters than Langley wanted him to believe. It rankled, a bit, being kept in the dark, but Arthur Kirkland had been his bright light at the end of a long tunnel more than once, so Alfred figured this piece of serendipity was his reward for playing the good little spy.  Alfred smirked and waited for Arthur to notice to him, to pick him out of a sea of suits and against a wall of beige and come to the very obvious conclusion that someone, somewhere, had decided that ComQual wasn’t a one man job.   
  
Alfred wished he wasn’t Joe Smith so he could stare shamelessly, but there was no reason a receptionist would find this executive any more interesting that the last, so he had to content himself with watching Arthur on the security feed while Arthur look the lay of the new land. Six months without a whisper of Arthur’s whereabouts and now he here he was within six feet of Alfred, and Alfred was bound by duty, honor, and pledge of allegiance not to say a damned word. Instead, Alfred watched as his sometimes rival and sometimes partner, casually marked the cameras, the motion sensors, and even the position of the guards, all in the thirty seconds before Arthur’s eyes were finally on him and the game was officially on.   
  
Kirkland sauntered across the lobby, eyebrows arching in surprise for all of three seconds before Arthur became Percy and Percy was giving Joe Smith his blandest greeting, asking to be directed to Human Resources while his fingers tapped out “you again?” in Morse code on Joe Smith’s desk. Alfred smiled in return, all politeness and courtesy for the new corporate big-wig even though he was flush with the thrill of something bigger afoot, flush with the thrill of being within striking distance of his most elusive target. He’d always liked playing cat and mouse with Kirkland, who had a ruthless streak and was almost as good as Alfred when it came to working a room (though no one was better than Bonnefoy when it came to wringing secrets from stone), and he’d never been above appreciating just how well Arthur managed all the tricks of their trade, right down the the tailored lines of Percy Milner’s Savile Row suit.   
  
Alfred wanted to take him by the tie, haul him over the desk, strip him down and discover if MI-6 had finally discovered a way to hide new toys MI-6 between Arthur’s thighs, and then demand to know why Arthur had left him high and dry the last time they’d....collaborated.   
  
Alfred Jones wanted many things from Arthur Kirkland, but Percy Milner probably wouldn’t have even given Joe Smith the time of day, so Alfred shelved his complaints regarding Arthur’s post-bedside manner and tried to focus on the task at hand. He didn’t want to know what the Director would do if he blew his cover just because six months ago Arthur Kirkland blew him off.   
  
But then again, Alfred didn’t think Vera would complain if he gave Joe Smith a little bit of color in the shade of an attraction to the new analyst. After all, Milner was handsome, Smith was bored, and Jones wanted Kirkland to recall how it had ended the last time they met on the job, so Alfred didn’t try very hard to keep the flirtation out of his voice when he gave Percy Milner his precious keycard and asked, “Anything else I can do for you today, sir?”   
  
Percy said, “Thank you, that will be all,” but the Arthur twitch in Percy’s smile told Joe Smith that Alfred’s offer had been heard loud and clear. There was definitely something to be said for all that went unsaid when two spies had a little chat.   
  
Alfred smiled and pushed his ugly glasses up the bridge of his nose, “Well, then, good luck on your first day, Mr. Milner.”   
  
“How kind of you, Mr....,”Arthur’s gaze drifted down to chest, lingering on the plastic tag that labeled Alfred the most common man in America, “Smith.”    
  
Alfred risked a wink, figuring that at this time of morning the only eyes on him belonged to the British Secret Service. “That’s my job, sir. Providing excellent service.”   
  
“Do keep up the good work.” Arthur scoffed lightly, eyebrows now arching with anything but surprise as he turned and left Alfred to his illegal listening devices. “Until tomorrow, Smith.”  
  
Alfred bit his tongue, swallowing the unprofessional urge to remind Arthur of just how well he could give good service. He couldn’t help but think of Munich when Arthur gave him that smug, superior look, couldn’t help but get a little hot under his cheap cotton blend collar when he dared to remember how they’d  Kirkland had always made him a little dangerous, and now wasn’t the time to show his hand when he and Arthur were almost definitely playing an unexpectedly high stakes game.  Instead of hustling Arthur into some dark corner and demanding to know everything, Joe Smith watched Percy Milner stroll purposefully away and went back to answering the phones, willing to wait just this once for Arthur to make the next move.


End file.
